TfOH catalyzed One-Pot Schmidt–Ritter reaction for the synthesis of amides through N-acylimides

Abstract

A One-Pot tandem Schmidt–Ritter process for the synthesis of amides has been developed using the super acid as catalyst. The in situ generated aryl/aliphatic nitriles from the reaction of aldehydes and sodium azide in the presence of TfOH and AcOH (Schmidt reaction) react with suitable alcohol (Ritter reaction) to give the amides. For the first time we observed that during the Schmidt process N-acylimides were generated along with nitriles, interestingly these N-acylimides also participated in the Ritter reaction.